When Fighting Monsters
by Unoriginality
Summary: Sif pays Loki a visit in his cell. Post Avengers, fully expecting to get Jossed.


The cell they put him in was impressive. It was a simple bars construct, but none of his powers could pierce past it. He couldn't bilocate an illusion to the other side, his small blasts of magic couldn't penetrate. He had only one trick left, and that was his invisibility, and he was not sure it'd work, either. He hadn't tested.

They'd removed the shackles, thankfully. His dignity didn't need that much of a blow, but they'd left the infernal contraption over his mouth on. Obviously, nobody had care to talk to him.

That was fine. He had little he wanted to say to any of them. He'd speak at his trial, if they allowed him, right before probably being banished to human form the way Thor had been, forever at the mercy of humans. With the so-called Avengers around, it wouldn't take long.

If he could just get his hands back on the Tesseract. He could lay waste to Asgard and Midgard both. And this time, he'd use more than a piece of it for his personal weapon and forgo the army of mass destruction from other dimensions.

If you want something done right, do it yourself.

Footsteps echoed down the hall. The guards at his cell crossed their spears to cut off access as Sif came around the corner into sight.

"No visitors, Lady Sif," one of the guards said. Loki didn't move from his seat, watching her with a predator's eye. She may be his key out of here.

"I will speak to him, by order of Thor Odinson," Sif said, watching the two guards imperiously.

The guards exchanged a look, then uncrossed their spears and walked down the hall and around both corners to give Sif and Loki some privacy.

Now Loki got up, moving forward and leaning against the bars, his arms sliding through easily and folding in front of him, supporting him as he leaned forward. Behind his gag, he smiled.

Sif eyed him evilly. "I always knew you'd be our traitor," she said, as if he could possibly reply.

_Did you now,_ he thought to himself. He continued to watch her as if she were prey, nothing more than an animal waiting to be hunted.

She looked unnerved. "I thought you, of all people, should love Thor and your father more than any of us. I only wonder why."

He straightened, grabbing the bars as he watched her with an increasingly angry look. How dare she! She saw what happened, right under all their noses, the way Thor was favored, Loki always shoved to the shadows, even though his brother was an idiot and thought of nothing but war. The unwanted son, the giant's son stolen from his cold temple and kept as mockery, a useful tool and little else. If his father had truly loved him, he would've given the throne to him when Thor proved an idiot. It was Loki that saved their lives by tattling, still ever respectful of his father, ever protecting that idiot, Thor.

She only saw Thor though, in her love for him. Oh, he could see it, Sif loved Thor far more than any of them had ever loved him. She was jealous of that pitiful human woman. For no reason, Thor had given her little consideration when he last returned to Midgard to 'rescue' the Tesseract from Loki's grip.

At the extended silence, Sif reached through the bars with a vicious right hook that knocked Loki off balance. The only thing that kept him from the floor was his grip on the bars of his cell. He snarled behind his mask of silence, straightening and before he could reach through the bars to grab her, she reached through and removed the mask. "Answer me," she demanded.

He grabbed the front of her armor and pulled her closer than comfort demanded. "You of all people should know," he growled. "The way he simpers over that mortal woman while you pine away for him. I was a tool, not a son, while he was an idiot- even you admit he was out of control on Jotenheim; if I hadn't sent word to my father, we'd all be dead because of that fool. And yet you still love him. Love isn't good enough for him, is it?"

Sif pushed herself away from his grip. He was weaker than her, without question, she was a warrior while he was a magician. "I don't need his love, just his friendship. You loved him more than I have ever. So it was petty jealousy that led to your betrayal?"

"There was nothing petty about my jealousies," Loki spat. "And it'll eat you alive one day too, Sif. As he continues to love that woman, you'll wonder why you're not good enough for him, just I wasn't good enough for my father. You're not so different from me."

She bared her teeth then slammed the mask of silence back over his mouth. "You've talked enough," she said. "Guards!" She turned on her heel and walked back down the hall as the guard returned.

Loki settled back down on his bench seat, a smile on his face behind the mask. Even without his tricks, he could still cause hate and discontent. That was nice. She'd crack, like a little bird's egg. He was right about her, he could see it better than anyone else. She'd crack, just as he had. And maybe he'd have a hand in that.

Just maybe.


End file.
